


Worth Waiting For

by twinsarein



Category: Smallville
Genre: First Kiss, Halloween, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-23
Updated: 2010-05-23
Packaged: 2017-10-09 16:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/89503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinsarein/pseuds/twinsarein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written from prompt #11 - Clark finds out Lex never went trick or treating for Halloween. Lionel just didn’t allow it. So Clark goes out of his way to make sure Lex gets a chance to Trick or Treat and/or escort a group of the younger children around the neighborhood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth Waiting For

Lex can't believe he's going along with this. Of course, in the year they've known each other, when has he ever said no to Clark? Still… "A costume, Clark? You never said anything about dressing up when you told me you'd signed us up to chaperone some ankle biters around town."

"C'mon, Lex. It's part of the whole experience. I can't do anything to fix you not being allowed to go trick or treating when you were a kid, but this is the closest I could get to it. Although, if you'd just agreed to go out trick or treating with me tonight, like I wanted to do originally…"

"Not happening, Clark. Even if I wasn't too old for it, I have an image to maintain as a business leader in this town."

"Then this is the next best thing, Lex. You'll even improve your image around town with your willingness to help some kids get a chance to enjoy the holiday and enable their parents to have a nice dinner out." Clark puts on his best pleading expression, the one even his mother has a hard time fighting against.

Lex knows that look and he isn't going to succumb to it; not this time. "Why'd you pick these particular costumes for us?" Damn it!

Lex sees one of Clark's brightest smiles break out over his face. Lex knows the smile is because his tone of voice gave away the fact that he's caving. His father would be disappointed with him for being so easily read and for giving in at all. Lex couldn't find it in himself to care when looking at the happiness on Clark's handsome face, though.

"I figured that the Alexander and Hephaestion costumes would be too cold for a mid-fall Kansas night and the Warrior Angel costumes in your size were all gone. The costumes are actually very different. Mine's a cowboy costume, but you'll be a sheriff, so we won't be dressed exactly alike."

Reluctantly, Lex takes the bundle Clark hands out to him. "Alright, if we're going to do this, let's get it over with. Follow me."

Heading to his room, Lex stops one door early and turns to Clark. "You can change in there, Farmboy. Whoever's done last can meet the other in my study."

Closing his bedroom door behind him, Lex gives into a moment of weakness and leans against it, closing his eyes. He can't believe the things he lets that boy talk him into. He hopes Clark never realizes just how wrapped around his little finger he has him. Of course, there are other things Lex would rather be wrapped around… 

He shakes that thought off. Clark is straighter than a beanpole. Still, he might be tempted to try and convince him to bat for the other team, or even just switch hit, if he wasn't so young. As mature as Clark's looks, and usually acts, he's still underage. Jailbait. Lex had never given much thought to that term until he'd met Clark. 

Pushing off from the door with a sigh, Lex figures he may as well get dressed. He isn't thrilled with the idea of wearing clothing that have been worn by an unknown number of people in the past, but he's not willing to disappoint Clark.

He should've known that when he'd told Clark about his father not allowing him to go out begging for candy on Halloween, that the boy would to try and rectify that. He hadn't suspected, however, and so couldn't head off his friend's plans. He's going to try and look on the bright side, though: at least he gets to spend the evening with his favorite person.

Ten minutes later, Lex is all ready, except for the boots. He stares at the cheap things in horror. Pants, okay; shirts, if he must; footwear, especially cheap footwear, no way in hell. He goes to his closet and digs around until he finds what he's looking for – a pair of boots left over from his clubbing days. They aren't exactly cowboy boots, but they're close enough, and they're made of soft, flexible leather that hug his lower legs. 

Lex looks at his reflection in his floor-length mirror and decides that he looks presentable, although it's been a long time since he's worn such harsh fabric next to his skin. Lex gives himself a mental shake. He's already decided to do this for Clark, there's no point in lamenting any further. He grabs the cowboy hat that he'd spotted in his closet while looking for the boots and resolutely opens his bedroom door. He heads for his study where, presumably, Clark will be waiting for him.

He walks through the double doors a few moments later, and Lex moans softly at the sight that greats him. He prudently covers the sound by clearing his throat. Clark is in black from head to foot, which is a good look on him and is partly what made Lex moan aloud, but across his chest are two swirls of red, in the shape of hearts, that go around his pectoral muscles. Those are what had forced the moan past his usually tightly controlled lips. They were a perfect frame for an area that Lex would dearly love to suck and nibble on.

Grabbing hold of his unruly libido, Lex puts a small grin on his face. "Ready to go meet up with the munchkins, Clark?"

"You bet, Lex. Munchkins, is it? I hadn't considered the Wizard of Oz as a costume idea. It would have been awesome if I could have found a wizard costume from the movie for you." Clark automatically falls into step beside Lex as they walk down through the mansion to the front door.

"What would that have made you, Clark? Dorothy?"

Clark laughs and swings an arm up to wrap around Lex's shoulders. Lex ruthlessly suppresses the desire to lean into that casual touch. 

"No, of course not. Maybe the Tin Woodsman or the Cowardly Lion. What do you think?"

"Since the point is moot, I don't see the efficacy of debating it." 

Lex gives a small laugh when he sees Clark pout from the corner of his eye. He refuses to let himself think of the things he'd like to do to that pushed out lip. 

Lex decides that he's being ridiculous. For over a year, he's managed to suppress his desires for the man-boy at his side, they shouldn't be getting to him so much tonight. He's going to put them out of his mind right now, and concentrate solely on enjoying the time with his friend, and making it through the evening. Luckily, Clark had told him about this a week ago, so he'd been able to make some contingency plans if anything goes wrong during the event. Besides the fake rifle that Clark said he left in the truck, he's armed with something much more useful - his cell phone.

"Clark, why don't you get the rifle and anything else you need. I'll grab a car and drive around to you." Turning toward his garage, he's startled to feel Clark pulling him in the opposite direction. 

"You don't want one of your expensive cars on the streets of downtown Smallville tonight, Lex. There are too many boys roaming around, dying to play a prank. Your sports cars would be a prime target. We'll take my family's truck. Dad said it would be okay."

Lex is reluctant to depend on the reliability of the old Ford, but Clark's argument is convincing. Being a Luthor wouldn't protect him from teenage boys out to use up the supermarket's supply of eggs. Being a Luthor might even be a liability in such an instance.

The drive to downtown Smallville is mercifully brief in the old rattletrap that the Kents call a truck. It's made even briefer by the stimulating conversation he and Clark have about current events. Lex relishes all of the time like this that he and Clark get to spend alone together. His friend seems to show his intelligence more when they're on their own.

All too soon they're pulling into the parking lot behind Fordman's. Lex has to face the reality that this is happening, because a van full of children in costume is just starting to unload as they park. Lex starts counting, and sighs with relief when they stop coming out. Twelve. That isn't too bad.

"God, Clark, when you said you'd signed us up to chaperone a group of children, I had visions in my head or forty or fifty of them. This doesn't seem like it'll be that hard after all."

Clark grins sheepishly at Lex. "Sorry. I didn't know the exact number, but I knew it wouldn't be that many. It shouldn't be too hard at all. They're all going to be pretty focused on getting candy. I'd have told you that if I'd known you were worried. C'mon, let's go meet them."

Getting out, they cross the parking lot, Clark falling into step beside him again as he comes around the front of the truck. The children are milling around and chatting excitedly a little ways away. A very put-together woman of middle age is by the van and counting heads. Lex decides that she looks almost too organized and very formidable. She'd be the type of person that would do well in the boardroom of the newly formed LexCorp.

Just as he comes to that conclusion, the woman gives three strong claps, and directs the children to quiet down and line up beside the van in a no-nonsense voice. Lex watches with admiration as the children do, and with no complaints besides. He makes a mental note to talk with her someday soon. She'd be a definite asset in his business.

"Clark. Mr. Luthor. These are your charges. Here is a list of their names. The costume of each child is beside the corresponding name. You have the first group, but more will be coming along quickly to meet up with their chaperons, so keep your charges moving along. Also, please make sure you all stay together, and be at the Talon no later than 5:30, although, you may arrive as early as five o'clock if you get done with the two streets quickly. Do you have all that?"

Lex was doing fine with the woman's directions until her question. He does not like to be condescended to. He opens his mouth to take her down a notch or two, but Clark forestalls him by grabbing the list and assuring her that they won't have any problems. He sends a glare Clark's way, but the brat just smiles back at him beatifically.

Clark scans the list and starts reading it off. "Okay, Lex. Melinda is Batgirl, Joel is Spiderman…and, last but not least, Brian is a purple Power Ranger."

Lex hears a tiny voice from the back. The volume is timid, but the words are defiant. Clark looks up at the sound. "What's that, Brian?"

"I said its violet, not purple. I'm the Violet Wolf Ranger."

Clark apologizes, but Lex grins at the boy as Clark gets them moving across the parking lot. Clark takes the lead, and Lex decides to stay in the back to make sure no kids run off unseen, as well as to stay with Brian. "You tell him, Brian. He's always confusing the two."

Brian's eyes light up at that, and Lex feels good that he'd been able to brighten the boy up a little. He'd looked a sad while standing at the end of the line. The boy's posture relaxes a bit and he shuffles a little closer to him. Then his eyes slide up to Lex's bald head. "Do you have cancer?"

Lex had braced himself inwardly when he saw where the boy's gaze was going, but this is just honest curiosity, so he relaxes. "No. I was in an accident when I was a child. It's what made all my hair fall out."

"Oh. So you won't get your's back then. That's too bad. My sister lost all her hair because of the leukemia, but she's starting to get it back. That's why I have two bags. See. I'm trick-or-treating for her tonight, too. She's still kind of weak. Even though she's in remission, her immune system is still in danger because of what they had to do to fix her."

Lex estimates that Brian is about eight, and that more than anything tells him how long this family must have been dealing with the girl's illness. For such a young boy to have picked up words like remission and immune system, and to use them correctly, denotes a long familiarity with the disease and its consequences. "I'm very sorry your sister has been so sick, Brian, but I'm glad to hear she's recovering. You're a good brother to trick-or-treat for her. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Lex's heart swells when Brian reaches up and takes his hand. They walk in silence for the rest of the short distance to the first store. It's all lit up, the window is decorated with painted tombstones and fake spider webs. The proprietor is dressed up as the grim reaper, a look that's spoiled when he breaks into a bright smile at the group of kids as they approach his store.

Lex is surprised that the children don't all mob him, but they wait patiently as he deposits a treat into each of their bags or buckets. Brian lets go of his hand to go get treats for himself and his sister, and Lex is sorry to lose that connection with him. At least, he is until Clark comes up and squeezes his arm. 

"It looks like you really hit it off with Brian. It must be because he likes purple, too."

Lex can see the smile on Clark's face, and knows he's just teasing him, but can't help responding a little sharply. "No, actually he wondered if I was bald because I had cancer like his sister is recovering from."

Clark blushes and stammers out an apology. Lex doesn't have time to say anything in reply, though, as all the children have their candy and are waiting to move on to the next store. Of course there isn't far to go, so Clark stays with him as they herd the kids along.

Clark tries to apologize again as the kids are getting candy at the Smallville Hardware and Feed Store, but Lex stops him this time. "No, I'm the one that should apologize. I knew you were just joking, but Brian reminds me a little of myself at that age. I was shy, didn't fit in very well… It doesn't really matter. I shouldn't have snapped."

Clark leans over and nudges a shoulder into his side and smiles at him. "I'm glad you connected with him, Lex. Now, come on, let's get this bunch across the street and onto the next block of stores." Clark raises his voice a little. "These kids need candy!"

A few hoots and hollers later and they're all lined up to cross the street. Clark takes the lead again and guides them through the middle of the crosswalk, looking back at Lex several times. Lex stands off to the side in the middle of the street, to make sure all the kids pass by him. 

Brian brings up the rear again and steps out of the crosswalk to hold his hand. Lex smiles down at him and they walk to the other side of the street together. "Are you getting some good candy for yourself and your sister?"

Brian gives a couple of skips and squeezes his hand. "Yeah! We're getting a haul. We usually have to drive from house to house, and it can take a loooong time just to get a handful of candy."

Lex squeezes his hand back, and then shoos him on his way when they come in range of the next store. Clark comes back to join him again and they walk together close enough that their arms brush. Lex has a good handle on himself at this point though, so he just turns an intense gaze to his friend and quirks his lips at him. As usual, Clark returns the look, and once again, also as usual, Lex gets no sense that he knows what he's doing.

They walk in silence for most of the way down this side of the street, Lex enjoying the peace of his friend's company. At least until the quiet is shattered by a cry of, "No candy?!"

He and Clark both start forward to calm all of their charges at the thought of no candy. Melinda is especially upset.

"Why's the candy gone? We were here first."

The proprietress was very apologetic. "I'm sorry, dear, to all of you. I can't find the candy I bought for tonight at all. I'm not sure where it's disappeared too."

Looking behind him, Lex can see other groups of children working their way to this point. He doesn't know what will happen if even more children discovered they were going to be deprived of a piece of candy. Luckily, he doesn't have to find out. He pulls out his cell phone and presses a single number.

"Hello, Hans. Please get here on the double, then grab a bag and bring it to me after you've arrived."

Clark looks over at him curiously. "Lex, what's that about? Why's Hans coming now, and what's he bringing?"

Lex smiles tightly. "You'll see along with everyone else."

The wait shouldn't be very long at all. Lex had told him to drive to the outskirts of the town to stay there for a possible call. Just as he suspected, the limo, with Hans at the wheel, came into sight just moments after he called.

"Lex, what did you do?"

"Planned for contingencies, Clark."

As soon as the limo rolls to a stop, the complaining around them stops as well. The children watch silently as Hans gets out, goes to the trunk, and removes a large bag.

"Here you are, sir. Your requested item."

Lex takes the proffered bag, and hands it to the proprietress in turn. "Madam, here is enough candy to keep all of Smallville's littlest residents in candy for the night."

She made appropriate noises of gratitude, but Lex is surprised when no children gather around her. He turns to see what the problem is now, only to see them all gathered around his limo. Walking closer, he's suddenly the one being surrounded by the kids. All of them are clamoring to see inside.

Looking over at Clark, he quickly realizes that his friend will be of no help. Clark's grinning like a loon and bouncing on his toes as he simply watches the predicament Lex finds himself in. 

Glancing over the small sea of faces, Lex spots Brian. His eyes are staring hopefully between him and the car, so Lex decides to allow it. He opens the car door, without waiting for Hans to get it, and shuffles all of the kids inside.

He and Clark are the last ones to enter, and they can hear excited exclamations coming from within. The children are all over the place, touching everything they can reach. Lex has a brief thought of a bonus in Hans's paycheck for the week, because he's the one who'll have to clean all of the fingerprints off.

Getting in, he and Clark manage to find a vacant spot that they wedge into simultaneously. They're pressed together from shoulder to knee. Lex's body tingles from the contact, but he ruthlessly suppresses it, just as he's been doing for what feels like forever already.

Clark reaches over and squeezes one of his knees and Lex whips his head toward his friend in shock at the intimate touch. Clark's got one of his grins aimed at him, and Lex feels some of his insides melt, as he always does when he gets a look like that.

"You're great to let the kids get in your limo, Lex. I bet they've never been in something like this before."

Lex looks around and would have to agree. Just then the children discover the TV, so he shows them how to use the little remote hidden in an armrest to control it. Things get quiet for a few minutes after that, and he leans back against his seat with a sigh. 

Clark watches the kids for a few moments longer and then leans back too. He turns his head on the seat to look at Lex.

Sensing the movement, Lex turns towards him in the same way and finds their faces very close together. Too close together for his peace of mind. Surreptitiously he moves back a few inches.

"I haven't asked yet, Lex, are you enjoying yourself? I know I kind of sprang it on you, so I'm sorry if you're having a horrible time. You can be hard to read sometimes, so I'm just not sure."

Lex thinks about it, and is surprised to realize that he has had a good time so far. "You can set your mind to rest, Clark. I am indeed enjoying myself. It's been fun to see the store owners all dressed up, the reactions of the children to the treats they get, and I've liked getting to know Brian. I'd say the evening has been a success up to this point."

Watching yet another smile bloom over Clark's face forces Lex to grin back just slightly. Smile fading, but not disappearing altogether, Clark gets an intent look on his face and leans a little closer. He raises a hand and puts a finger on Lex's upper lip.

"I've never asked you about this scar." He traces the faint white line and Lex's hands close into fists in an effort to control himself. "How'd you get it?"

In spite of all the children, the atmosphere in the limo seems very intimate. The children are all gathered around the TV now, the light from it their only illumination, his and Clark's bodies are still pressed together…which Lex finally realizes that they don't have to be at this point.

Capturing Clark's hand, Lex scoots back a little, and clears his throat. "That'll have to wait for another time. It's getting late, and we still need to get to The Talon."

Clark looks a little dazed and blinks his eyes a couple of times and then shakes his head. "Yeah, you're right." He raises his voice a little. "Alright everyone, do you want to sit around watching TV, or get more candy and head to the party?"

Excited voices fill the limo, and it wasn't until Clark turns to exit the car first that Lex realizes he's never let go of the boy's hand. He does so with alacrity, and then, to cover how flustered he feels, he presses the button near him to talk to Hans.

As the last to leave the car, by the time he exits, Hans is standing there with a large box in his hands. Lex claps his hands for attention and Clark helps to quiet everyone down. "Since the limo is already here, and we're almost done, I thought I would take the opportunity to give these to you now."

Lex starts handing out the bags of treats he'd had packed for this group. He makes sure to hand two to Brian. Soon, all the children have one and he's surrounded by children sitting at his feet and going through their new treasures.

Giving the children a few minutes, Lex feels his heart swell yet again this evening at the sight of them all enjoying the simple things his assistant had picked out. He'd been so worried when Clark had told him what he'd signed them up for. His own childhood was not filled with fond memories of other children or playing with friends. His memories had more to do with bullies and teasing. It's…nice…to see that not all children are like the ones he'd grown up with. Clark had been his first introduction to nice; he's glad to have other examples of it.

Clark's strong voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "Okay, everyone, it's getting late. What do you say to Mr. Lex?"

A chorus of, 'Thank you, Mr. Lex,' fills the air, and Lex smiles at all of them. "You're welcome, children. Now let's all continue on to The Talon so we can get some ghostly goodies."

Scrambling to their feet, Lex finds himself part of his first group hug. Ending as quickly as it began, Lex is left with a feeling he can't quite identify as the children continued down the remainder of the street.

Clark puts a hand in the middle of his back to get him moving again, and smiles at him understandingly. "There nothing like the warm, fuzzy feeling of acceptance that little kids can give you, is there, Lex?"

Acceptance. Yes, that's part of what he's feeling. Happiness is the other thing he's feeling that he's not overly familiar with. "Thanks for giving me this experience, Clark. Now come on, we have a group of trick-or-treaters to get to The Talon." Lex strides ahead, feeling lighter than he has in a long time.

The party at The Talon can be called an unqualified success, in Lex's opinion. He enjoys himself more than he thought possible watching the children running around, drinking 'blood' punch and eating 'worm' pasta, playing games such as witch's hat ring toss and pin-the-tail-on-the-werewolf. Overall, the children are loud, but well behaved. Everyone participates, but he keeps a special eye on Brian to make sure the boy doesn't fade into the background.

At one point, while scanning the room, he sees Clark's face flare up with a bright red blush and shaking his head vigorously. He's talking to Batgirl, Melinda if Lex remembers correctly. He sees Clark glance up at him quickly, notices him watching and blushes again, before looking away. Curiosity aroused, Lex determines that he'll ask Clark about it later. 

However, right now parents are beginning to arrive to pick their children up. After the first ones leave, it seems to start a domino effect, and the place clears out quickly. Lex does make a point to greet the man that comes to pick up Brian. He wants to keep an eye on the family, and make sure they don't need any help with their daughter. It turns out that the man is one of his LexCorp employees, so it'll be easier to keep an eye on them than he'd thought.

After all the children have gone, most of the chaperones stay to help clean up The Talon. That's another surprise for Lex. That hadn't been part of the duties outlined and most of the chaperones are high school students like Clark. Lex hadn't expected them to pitch in at all, especially since no one asked them to. Except for the meteor rocks, and their effect on the residents, this really could be a Norman Rockwell kind of town.

He and Clark wind up alone, cleaning the same counter. Swirling their cloths around to scrub off stains, their hands bump. Clark's hand jerks, and when Lex looks up, he finds his friend blushing.

Stopping his cleaning, their hands still touching, Lex gives Clark his full attention. "You blushed even harder earlier, when you were talking to Melinda. What'd that little girl say to you to get you to blush like that?"

Clark's current blush intensifies at the question, and he drops his gaze. "She…she said that her older brother and his boyfriend are always kissing and…" Clark breaks off with a gulp when Lex moves his hand just slightly, pushing their two hands a little closer. His eyes come back up, and he bites his lip before continuing. "She wanted to know why my boyfriend hadn't kissed me tonight at all."

"Who did she think was your boyfriend, Clark?"

Clark's tongue comes out to wet his lips, and Lex almost moans at the unconsciously provocative act. "You know who, Lex." His voice reduces to a whisper, so Lex leans a little closer. He does know, and he should be shot for teasing Clark like this.

"What'd you tell her?"

Clark shrugs and looks back down. "I told her she was wrong of course, and that you had girlfriends, not boyfriends."

Lex's heart starts beating a little harder. Clark had told her Lex had girlfriends, not that he himself did. Before he can say anything, though, Clark speaks up.

"E-excuse me, Lex. I need to get more cleaning supplies."

He hurries away, and Lex blinks down at the almost full bottle of cleaning solution he and Clark had been sharing. Glancing around quickly, he sees that everyone is well occupied with their own areas to clean. Swiftly, he follows, and when he enters the storage room, he closes the door behind them.

"Clark?"

When his friend doesn't turn around at his soft question, he repeats it and puts a hand out on Clark's arm. The boy's as tense as a steel rod, and Lex's squeezes the bicep under his hand in reassurance. "Clark, turn around and look at me."

Slowly he does, and Lex is surprised at the misery on the handsome face. "What's wrong?"

Clark shakes his head, and doesn't look Lex in the eye. "I just…I just don't know what to do. I'm feeling…my feelings…" He breaks off with a sigh.

"Clark, do you have…feelings…for me, besides friendship?" Lex can't quite keep the hope out of his voice.

Lex smiles wryly as Clark's head comes up slowly. Apparently, he hears what Lex can't quite hide. He takes a deep breath. "Yes."

Stepping closer, Lex reaches up and cups his cheek. "You aren't alone, Clark." He puts a hand over his friend's mouth to forestall his next words. "But, you're too young. I could be arrested for doing even the simplest things that I fantasize about doing with you."

Clark's eyes widen. "You…you fantasize about me?"

Lex feels a tinge of color spot his own cheeks and is amazed. He didn't think that he could still blush. He certainly hasn't done it in years. "Forget I said th…"

Lex has to break off as Clark's mouth comes down over his in a sloppy kiss. Quickly, Lex takes over, gentling the kiss, and slowing Clark down a little. He savors the soft lips gliding tentatively against his, even as it illustrates how young the brunet is. There isn't even any tongue involved, and Lex keeps his own firmly in his mouth until he starts to pull away. Then, he can't resist reaching out and swiping a wet stripe along that full lower lip.

Clark tries to follow him as he leans away, but Lex puts up a hand to stop him. Unfortunately, there can't be any more of that for a long while. He isn't happy about it, and he knows Clark won't be either, but they'll talk and work it out. Lex is determined to not lose this chance, or to mess it up. He's willing to do a lot for this boy, including wait for him to become a man.


End file.
